Behind The Spirits
by Arctic Zero
Summary: There were many Ionian heroes in the Noxus-Ionia war. This is merely one of them, and how he went from a peaceful farmer, to a soldier, and to being Irelia's student.


There will always be people willing to stand up in the face of danger. Those who'd give up their stable life and enter a battlefield filled with loss, regret, and death to ensure that those who did not take up arms won't ever have to. That is the reasoning behind Tachi Takeda, a tall young man from the Placidium, Capital of Ionia, to take up a blade and don the armor of war to face the oncoming onslaught of the power-hungry war machine known as Noxus. Often times, in his life, he cherished his homeland. The rice paddy farm that his family owned, and the lush forests that surrounded the Placidium. When he agreed to take part in the defense of the capital, he turned away from the things he enjoyed and saw the face of war. Houses and crops burned. Families separated. Young and old, man or woman, the enemy did not discriminate in who they attacked or killed, or who they captured and forced into labor. Behind him was the home he never wanted to leave, and in front of him was impending doom. The only thing that stood in the latter's way was him. Or so he thought.

* * *

><p>On the day Tachi became ten years old, his father gave him lots of responsibilities around the farm. Though, this did not stop the young boy from escaping his errands and wandering the village, following his own agenda. He spent all his life on that farm, and he knew what needed to be done at what time. It just happens that he could do his responsibilities at times he deemed was right, and those times often conflicted with his father's idea. Due to his frequent escapes from responsibility, his father had to hire someone in his place. Tachi was grateful that his father found a replacement for him, and he would leave early in the morning to do who knows what, only to return late at night and sneak to the pantry to eat something. It wasn't until one morning when he woke up late that he saw the replacement. She was a beautiful girl with hair that went down her back, skin so fair that she might have been a deity, and eyes that you could stare into forever. A gentle breeze caused her to fix her hair that had blown into her face, and it was then that she met Tachi's gaze. He briefly looked away as if he had done something wrong, only to fail at resisting on looking back. She gave him a questioning look, and Tachi responded by stepping out of the house, sunlight bathing his skin and the summer heat permeating in the air.<p>

"Wonderful day, huh?" Tachi said to the girl, walking up to her slowly with a calm demeanor despite the unforgiving heat.

"It's hot. Too hot," came the woman's reply, before sighing lightly and turning her gaze to the rice paddies. Her dress was soiled with mud, her hands were still wet from planting rice, and her face had wipe marks, probably from her wiping the sweat off her brow with her muddy hands. She didn't look at Tachi when she spoke again, "And you're supposed to be doing this, not me."

"You're right, but you're getting paid, aren't you?" Tachi asked, crossing his arms as he stood next to the woman and observed the rice paddies. Her technique was flawless. The rice paddies couldn't have looked better with the rows and columns of rice that were neatly planted with pinpoint accuracy, in a shorter amount of time than he would've done.

"I'm not in it for the money, I just want to help out."

"What's your name?" Tachi inquired as he turned from the rice fields to the girl by his side.

"Akari."

"I'm Tach-"

"I know who you are," Akari interrupted, giving Tachi a quick glare. "The whole neighborhood knows who you are."

Tachi blinked at being interrupted, and couldn't help but somehow wilt at the unnerving glare she gave him. He was taller than her by a large margin, but the short girl had a fire in her eyes that melted any kind of defense Tachi had. "And what might the neighborhood say about me?" he asked her, his tone carrying his notion that she was lying.

"You're the biggest slacker this place knows, and don't you deny it," she responded, before turning not just her head but her body to Tachi. She peered up into his onyx eyes and prodded his chest with a muddy finger. "But now that we know each other, don't expect to be doing that all the time. I'll work you like an ox."

"You?" Tachi asked with disbelief, "Hah, why I could just-"

Akari was giving Tachi a death stare. He had resisted against many of those stares from his parents, but when it came from this woman he was defenseless. Happy at the frightened look Tachi gave her in response, Akari would slap him in the back and pushed him towards the rice paddies. "Some of them are empty, now go fill them up!" She yelled. Tachi would head out to the rice fields and begin planting rice at an incredible speed, albeit sloppy.

A pattern would start to develop rather quickly. Early in the morning, Akari would arrive at the Takeda residence and wake Tachi up, often times having to drag him out of bed. She'd feed him some ricecakes or a salted riceball with the latest catch of mackarel because she knew a fisherman that gave her free fish each day. He'd sometimes have to be force fed because he refused to eat, the reason being he was too sleepy or it was too early. And just like she told him, Akari made Tachi work like an ox. He'd complain at the end of the day, being tired and sore and whatnot, but Akari's energy would keep pushing him to do more things, but not related to the farm. Often times they'd head out of the farm and help with fishing, or just spend time with each other. Over time, Tachi became more and more responsible, and his parents definitely noticed the improvement in their son's behavior. There came a time where his parents stopped asking where he was going to late at night, or where he's returning from. They knew Akari was keeping him in check, and they knew Akari and Tachi were near inseparable. Akari and Tachi's bond grew from friendship to a deeper form of friendship. She'd come by every day for work and teach him a thing or two in swordsmanship, Tachi would take her out to do something fun, and then they'd part ways and go home. No complaints until they have to turn their backs to each other under the starry night, but both were also excited to rise in the morning to see each other again.

One year, a devastating storm rampaged through Tachi's neighborhood. It claimed lives and houses, and Akari's home and parents were taken by nature. Tachi's family invited her to live in their home, and Tachi helped Akari overcome her sadness. It hurt him to see her sad, to hear her sobbing in the dark in the guest room, or to see her too depressed to do anything. With patience and a lot of embarrassing acts, Tachi eventually brought back Akari's smile. And with it, his own. Their feelings blossomed into love, but both were afraid of rejection, causing them to defer taking the next step. One autumn when they both hit 15 years old, during the Autumn Harvest Festival, Tachi made the first move. After a day of tasting various foods, participating in games and festivities, then praying for safe passage through the winter, Tachi brought Akari to a vacant spot that had a good view of the sky for the fireworks.

"Had fun?" Tachi asked Akari as they sat next to each other in traditional Ionian clothes.

"Lots," Akari replied, looking toward the booths and stalls of the food vendors of the festival.

"When do you want to build that tree house?" Tachi questioned, as Akari had been talking about wanting to make a sort of hideout where the two of them can spend some time in.

"Soon. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. I'll have to see."

Tachi would merely nod, then looked up at the starry night sky before turning to look at Akari. Her hair was let down instead of the usual ponytail, her lips were scarlet, her cheeks rosy, and her eyes alluring. He flashed a toothy smile at her before saying, "You look wonderful."

"Oh, you," Akari said as she lightly batted at Tachi's arm. She blushed brightly and hoped Tachi didn't catch it, but he was good at picking up small changes. "You're the one that put it on me. Thank yourself," she replied.

"What about me? How do I look?" Tachi asked.

"You look like a mess," Akari stated, looking away. Tachi frowned a little but Akari retrained her gaze upon his, "But I can see that inside, you are wonderful. Brave, kind... something about it is just... attractive."

As soon as she finished that sentence, the first boom followed by the bright light of the fireworks began. The fireworks show was filled with variety, sporting nearly every color in the light spectrum and in different patterns that looked revolutionary. As the final lights in the sky died out, Tachi looked over to Akari, surprised to see that she was already looking at him. He didn't delay much by thinking of whether or not they simultaneously looked at each other or if she had been looking at him the whole time. He'd gaze into her eyes that seemed to moist up because of the cold or something, and then slowly brought his hand to hold her's. Akari looked a little surprised, but she interlaced their fingers in response to his move. She smiled brightly at him with a faint giggle. While no words were being spoken, Tachi and Akari knew that they were taking the next step in their relationship, that they were ready to move further than just being friends. Tachi leaned in slowly towards Akari, and Akari closed her eyes as she tilted her head upwards to compensate for the height difference. Slowly but surely, their lips came closer until they were sealed in their first kiss.

More kisses were to be had between the two, some more casual than others. Their activities went from playful to romantic, and their neighborhood was soon aware of their relationship as it was too obvious to hide. They were together almost everywhere, they ate together, and there had been rumors that Akari and Tachi no longer slept in separate beds. With this attention all around them, Tachi and Akari felt even more in love with each other; their love a blossoming flower that would grow even further with care. When Tachi and Akari felt that their next step was ready, they went to Tachi's parents and asked for their permission to get married. Since their parents had been the firsthand witnesses of their relationship, they agreed. Weeks later, Tachi and Akari kissed once more as husband and wife. Their marriage started off a little rocky, with Tachi's father dying of sickness just a few months after their marriage, and his mother following suit due to age not a week later. With Tachi at his lowest, Akari stayed by his side and embraced him. When she lost her parents, Tachi did everything he could to help her through it. Now, she's given the chance to repay his kindness, and not just as a friend. As his wife. For the next week and a half, Tachi would try to carry on without his parents. He often failed in doing his errands correctly, but Akari would take his hand and guide him through it, no matter how troublesome. And as he did for her, she brought back life and happiness to the man she had sworn eternal companionship and love to. Just as they began to settle down, however, news of a foreign invading nation reached them. Both were worried, they knew if the Noxian advance continued, they'd have to take up arms and defend the capital. With this in mind, Akari began taking martial arts once more, Tachi included, however Tachi practiced more of his own sword style. It was fast, efficient, but vulnerable. No matter how lethal it seemed, it was in the spirit of protecting Akari.

And at last, the day came when the Ionian Guard called upon any abled citizen to take up arms and help in the defense of the nation. This was the first time Tachi and Akari had been separated for longer than a day since their marriage. Tachi was placed into an archer unit to garrison the capital, and Akari was placed in a forward unit that would be operating outside of Placidium. Tachi was constantly worried for his wife, and he'd seek out any sort of news that would let him know of her status. Even though he had not seen her name in the list of people killed in action, he was wrecked with worry that the worst had happened. Eventually, he began to turn his worry into rage toward the Noxians, and his rage was an effective fuel at shooting arrows accurately at the weak spots of the Noxian armor. There would be Noxian raids near Placidium, and Tachi would be dispatched with the rest of his unit to rain down arrows and Ionian aggression onto the invaders, and if that did not deal with it, then he'd charge headlong into battle with reckless efficiency at spilling Noxian blood. Sometimes, they came from a bamboo forest, sometimes they hid in muddy swamps to assault a Noxian supply caravan. With guerilla tactics suggested by Tachi, he eventually was given a rank in which he could command a decent amount of soldiers. His unit employed hit-and-run strategies, but also served as scouts for the garrison command in Placidium. It was there that he met Irelia, who gave an inspiring speech to the soldiers.

"What you do here... The battles you fight, the pain and suffering and horrors you endure, are more than any person should face, yet you do so. Day after day. Week after week. When one conflict ends, another begins. Most would turn and flee. Most would say 'what is the point?'" Irelia said, then would smile softly at the gathered soldiers who stood in neat formations as they looked up to her on a stage. "And yet you stay. You endure. Because of that, because of your selflessness and dedication and skill and inteligence and... The list goes on and on. Because of you, people like me can survive. Because of you, our kinsmen have homes to return to. I can never find words strong enough to express the gravity of what has been done for our lands, in this city or any other. My thanks are not enough. This speech is nowhere near enough. But it is a start. It is something. And I pray for the safety of our forces every day. May your heart guide you well, and bring you safely home to enjoy the peace you have created."

The uproar that followed was music to Irelia's ears. To know that her people were aggressive defenders despite their calm and peaceful lives prior to this war comforted her. However, she caught Tachi gaze. She saw he wasn't loudly cheering like everyone else, but she figured he was merely among the types of men who were constantly serious. She brushed it off for the moment as she stepped down from the stage and went to attend to her duties. Almost every day after that speech for the next two weeks, Irelia and Tachi would cross paths. Irelia would be picking up little bits about Tachi from the way he acts, but Tachi was none the wiser. One day, news came to the Placidium that their forward forces had been decimated by Noxian soldiers. Tachi looked through the list of names believed to be involved and took off the moment he saw Akari's name. With a handful of his best soldiers, he rode a horse to the last known position of Akari's unit and found her along with several survivors of her unit held prisoner. He stealthily maneuvered to a nearby observation point to see the layout of the little Noxian camp and how to properly assault it to free the prisoners. Patience was one of Tachi's most well-known virtues, but soon he'd prove it wrong. A rowdy bunch of Noxian soldiers who were also drunk would stand from their seats by a bonfire and made their way to the tied-up Akari. Tachi didn't hear what they were saying, but he saw that one of them pulled her arms and pinned them to the ground, while two others ripped her clothes and spread her legs and held them down. The last one was fiddling around with his belt. Right as he stepped in between Akari's thigh's however, a whistling arrow came from the treeline and hit him right at the base of his skull, causing him to fall forward on Akari. The soldiers restraining her saw the arrow and drew their swords as they called for the camp to arms. Soon, several more whistling arrows drew the Noxians' attention to the sky. With their attention above and not on the ground, Tachi and a few others rushed in and took the soldiers by surprise, opening up with a devastating charge with their swords and spears that punctured through Noxian armor with little to no resistance as Ionian rage powered the thrust. Their blood squirted from behind their armors and some even splattered upon their Ionian murderers. Tachi in particular was bathed in blood, both his and the enemies'. The sight of him was enough for Noxian soldiers to be on the defensive, but Tachi was not someone who relented in his assault, especially when Akari was in danger. He ruthlessly swung his sword at the surrendering Noxians' throats, then lopped off the heads of the men who attempted to rape Akari. He placed them on spearheads and left them standing around the bonfired they made.

Akari was frightened, and not because she almost got raped. It was Tachi's brutal technique of murder. It was her that taught him where to strike to make sure the enemy feels the pain the most... but with a stick. A sword would make the blows much more agonizing, such as a stab to the throat that only partially cut off the windpipe, causing the victim to completely feel themselves drowning in their own blood. Akari would sit up from her position, and Tachi came over to cut her bonds. With her now free hands, she covered herself up. Tachi handed her his cloak that denoted his rank, which she wore gingerly as if she'd be in trouble if she hastily wore it. Soon, however, another Noxian scouting party happened upon the camp, and they outnumbered the Ionians at least 2-to-1. While several had retreated, Tachi merely flicked the blood off of his sword and began to approached the incoming soldiers.

"Tachi, you'll die!" Akari exclaimed, trying to reach out for her husband, but it was too late.

Tachi charged forward and attacked the Noxians with godlike speed, using their bodies as platforms to launch himself and avoid retaliation. The moon illuminated his sword every swing, and the sight of the after-images of his blade inspired Tachi's comrades to join in on the fight, as if Tachi's onslaught was their permission to let out every single drop of their hatred towards the Noxians and let loose without anyone to judge them. The controlled, cultured, and passive Ionians turned into vicious killers who seemed to enjoy every single cut they made against the Noxians. When the clanging of steel and the shouts of anger and the screams of pain halted, Akari only saw Tachi and two Noxians facing each other. Tachi's armor shone brightly with dark fluid, his clothes no longer a pale purple as it was soaked with blood, his face painted in the crimson of his enemies's blood. The life of the Noxians he killed dripped from his blade, and with two more standing, it was not going to dry just yet. The Noxians charged. Tachi charged. Tachi took a spearhead to the shoulder and a deep cut to the side, but he still drove his sword through a Noxian's throat, and used his now free hands to clutch at the other Noxian's mouth and pulled him down to the ground and pried his mouth open until his jaw broke, then Tachi stabbed an arrow into his open mouth.

When all was done, Tachi yelled into the night sky with tears. The shock of combat, the realization that murdering Noxians gave him pleasure... it scared him. It made him sad. Akari trudged through the bodies of dead soldiers before she lifted Tachi up by the arms and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Shh... It's alright, now. You've won. Let's go home," She whispered into his ear, before helping him walk back to the Placidium. However, she found out that between them and Placidium was a large Noxian force that sieged the capital. They'd have to be invisible to sneak through that. For the next day, Akari treated Tachi's wounds and find food for them, meeting scattered Ionian troops along the way and leading them back to her camp where she organized a respectable amount of soldiers. Now, they can entertain the option of fighting through the Noxian army to get back to the Placidium's walls. But first, the soldiers need to recuperate, and they need a leader. Their leader lay on the ground, his head on Akari's lap, and his name repeated by Akari, "Tachi, my dear... I'm not rushing you or anything, but... These soldiers need you. Placidium needs you. Master Irelia needs you," she said, but being the thinker she was, she would add in, "Well, she needs everyone. But every single soldier helps, and we got a group, so she needs you to lead them back to her."

She would caress his cheek and looked warmly at his sleeping face. She sang mostly for Tachi, but to the gathered soldiers in her camp as well.

"In the time between going to bed and dreaming,  
>I close my eyes, and there's the universe.<br>Be rocked by the moon and forget your troubles.  
>Think about...<br>How you'll become a child when you reach the stars.  
>They haven't changed since the distant past.<br>A swirling pattern that envelops you...

Enveloped, enveloped...  
>As if happiness is raising to hug you.<br>I'll count the stars for you,  
>as you sleep quietly in my arms like...<br>A sweet child, yes, a sweet child.  
>Listen to the moon and stars' words while you sleep in the light of your guardian deity."<p>

Tomorrow was a new day. The fight to reach the Placidium has just begun.


End file.
